Chamari and Dilshan make 2023 ICC awards nominations

Highlighting star performers who excelled during the 2023 calendar year, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the nominees for the 2023 edition of its awards, celebrating memorable performances of another blockbuster year of action.

Two Sri Lankan cricketers have made the shortlist of nominees for this year’s awards. 

Sri Lanka Women’s Captain Chamari Athapaththu has been nominated for the Women’s T20 International Cricketer of the year, while left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka has been nominated for the Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the year. 

Athapaththu, commenced the year with an outstanding performance in Cape Town during the Women’s T20 World Cup, earning the Player of the Match title. She smashed an impressive 68 runs off 50 balls, contributing significantly to Sri Lanka’s three-run victory over South Africa. This surprising win marked the beginning of an extraordinary year for the Sri Lanka women’s team, with Athapaththu leading the charge.

By the year’s end, she accumulated a total of 470 runs, maintaining an accelerated strike rate of 130.91. Additionally, Athapaththu achieved a personal milestone in Women’s T20Is with 15 sixes throughout the year.

In the latter part of the year, Athapaththu entered a prolific phase, delivering an unbeaten 80 runs in 47 balls in Colombo. This stellar performance played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s comeback victory in the three-match series against New Zealand, where they successfully chased down 141 runs with all 10 wickets to spare. She continued her impactful contributions, playing a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s series triumph over England in England.

The 23-year-old Dilshan Madushanka meanwhile stepped into action as a replacement for the injured Dushmantha Chameera during the Men’s ICC World Cup Qualifier Tournament, seizing the opportunity with remarkable performances.

Madushanka initially marked his presence with a one-for-38 performance against the Netherlands but truly made his impact with a spectacular three-for-15 display against Zimbabwe. In that match, he dismissed both openers and Wessly Madhevere at number three. 

Subsequently, he recorded a spell of one for 49 against the West Indies before earning the Player of the Match title in the tournament final against The Netherlands, where he claimed three wickets for 18 runs in seven overs.

Carrying his momentum into the World Cup, Madushanka made a significant contribution by securing 11 wickets in his first four matches, including a notable four-for-49 performance against The Netherlands.

Madushanka concluded with a total of 21 wickets at an average of 25. His noteworthy performances included a five-wicket haul against India and three wickets for 69 runs against Bangladesh.

In T20Is, Madushanka showcased his skills during the T20 Asia Cup, clinching six wickets at an economy of 25.83. Notably, his impact extended to India’s scorecard during the Cricket World Cup group stage at the Wankhede Stadium. Madushanka silenced the crowd with a spectacular delivery to dismiss Rohit Sharma in the first over, later removing Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in successive overs through the middle. He continued his dominance by striking twice at the death, claiming the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer.